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Pakistan : a hard country

In this profound and sophisticated analysis of Pakistan's history and its social, religious and political structures, Lieven argues strongly against U.S. actions that would risk destroying that state in the illusory search for victory in Afghanistan.

Abstract:

In the wake of Pakistan's development of nuclear weapons, unpoliceable border areas, shelter of the Afghan Taliban and Bin Laden, there is a clear need to look further than the simple image of a failed state so often portrayed in the media. This title offers an understanding of this remarkable and highly contradictory country.Read more...

Reviews

Editorial reviews

Publisher Synopsis

Superb ... Few writers offer the insight and deep knowledge that Lieven has of a country critical for the West but one often caricatured by the media and rarely understood by Western policy makers ... Timely and compelling -- Maleeha Lodhi This is a wonderful book, full of learning, wisdom, humour and common sense -- Peter Oborne * Daily Telegraph * One cannot give Lieven enough credit ... The book seamlessly flows with historical analysis, anthropological investigation, and painstaking contextualisation ... It is both grand in its scholastic description and in its journalistic flair -- Ahmad Ali Khalid * Dawn * A finely researched blend of the nation's 64-year history ... Lieven's feat lies in his remarkable, flesh-and-blood portrait of the nation ... this nuanced analysis should be read, and learned from * The Independent * By far the most insightful survey of Pakistan I have read in recent years ... a vital book ... detailed and nuanced -- Mohsin Hamid * New York Review of Books * Lieven captures the richness of the place wonderfully. His book has the virtues of both journalism and scholarship * The Economist * An important corrective to the monolithic view of Pakistan ... fresh and deeply informed -- Patrick French * Mail on Sunday * A brilliantly articulated and researched argument ... Lieven is a wonderful writer. There are frequent moments of dark humour ... and descriptions that a novelist might envy -- Kamila Shamsie * The Times * Everybody nowadays seems to take a view on Pakistan. Very few know what they're talking about. Anatol Lieven is that rare observer ... Pakistan: A Hard Country ... fills a large gap in our understanding * Edward Luce, author of 'In Spite of the Gods: The Strange Rise of Modern India' * The publication of Pakistan: A Hard Country could not be more timely ... illuminating as well as entertaining * The Spectator * With patience and determination, Lieven observes and records all aspects of the curiosity otherwise known as Pakistan ... A sweeping and insightful narrative -- Mohammed Hanif * The New York Times *Read more...